Biodiversity and ecosystem services

Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services ESS

Biodiversity loss is rapid and ongoing. Over the last 50 years, humans have changed ecosystems faster and more extensively than in any comparable period of time in human history. In general this happened for attending the demand for natural resources, which led to a drastic loss of our planets diversity in life forms.

Following the CBD Convention "Biological diversity" means the variability among living organisms from all sources including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part; this includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems.

Changes of ecosystems contributed to improving human welfare and economic development, but in consequence the menace to species, ecosystems and ecosystem services has never been as great as it is today. Species extinction caused by human activities continues at an alarming rate. Some groups of population suffer from worsening poverty, and if these problems are not dealt with, all the benefits gained will vanish for future generations.